Applications being taken for EdChoice

COLUMBUS — The second application window for two state-funded scholarship programs — the EdChoice and Income-Based Scholarship programs — began Tuesday and will run through the end of the month.

“These scholarships provide life-changing opportunities for thousands of families across Ohio,” said School Choice Ohio Senior Director of Programs Sarah Pechan Driver. “More than 20,000 students applied in the first application window for these two programs combined, and there are still plenty of scholarships available for interested families who apply during this second application window.”

Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship Program provides scholarships worth up to $5,000 to pupils who are attending, entering or assigned to the state’s lowest-rated public schools to be used toward tuition at the participating private school of their choice. In the program’s first application window, which closed May 9, the Ohio Department of Education received 18,228 applications.

The Income-Based Scholarship Program makes scholarships available to Ohio’s working class families from any school district to send their children to the participating private school of their choice. This year, incoming kindergarten and first-grade pupils from families with income at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines are eligible to apply for the scholarships that are worth up to $4,250. Already, 3,209 pupils applied for this program during its first application window.

Once a family determines their child is eligible for one of the scholarships, they will go through the regular application process at a participating private school. If accepted, the school will apply for the scholarship on the family’s behalf. The second application window closes Aug. 1.

“With the application window upon us, School Choice Ohio is reaching out to help parents navigate all their education options, including the scholarship programs, to find a great fit for their child,” Pechan Driver said.

If parents have questions about the scholarship programs or want information, they can contact School Choice Ohio at 800-673-5876 or visit the organization’s website at http://scohio.org.